SANCTUARY
by Ann3
Summary: Following on from A Deafening Silence, Nigel drops a not entirely unexpected bombshell.... Thanks so much for the reviews !!


SANCTUARY

Written by Ann Rivers ann.rivers@virgin.net

Summary: Continuing from A Deafening Silence, Nigel has some not entirely unexpected news…

Spoilers: Fountain Of Youth and The Headless Nun

Disclaimer: Relic Hunter and its characters belong to CanWest and Fireworks Productions.

"I need some personal time, Syd… some time on my own to… well, uh, sort some things out…"

It was the announcement which she'd spent the last six hours fretfully anticipating in her mind. 

And although it had been half expected, and wholly dreaded, Sydney couldn't stop a wince of dismay. 

"H – How much time, Nigel…?" she asked quietly, trying to catch and hold oddly evasive eyes.

Still staring down at his bag, Nigel shrugged before glancing briefly at her from under his fringe.

"I'm not too sure myself, Syd…" he said at last, lowering his eyes again while he picked at his jacket.

As the awkward silence between them continued to grow, Nigel sighed and shrugged once more,

still too agitated to make that all important eye contact with Sydney as he listlessly shuffled his feet.

"There's a lot going on right now with me, Syd, and… well, I just need some space to sort it out…" 

Not trusting herself to reply, and knowing better than to press the point with him, Sydney just nodded.

She'd only been able to hold them for a moment, but those few seconds had been more than enough.

There was still one hell of a storm brewing behind normally gentle eyes. One of her own making.

And while she'd never seen Nigel fully lose his temper, Sydney could not doubt its force when he did. 

It had already darkened his eyes into a stony hardness which, for once, was not going to yield.

Even so, Sydney couldn't stop herself from making one last desperate attempt to talk him around.

"Look Nigel, I know I screwed up with your brother, and I should never have left you like that, and…"

"Well, at least you're with me on that…" Nigel cut in with uncharacteristic but justified bitterness. 

Too stunned to reply, Sydney could only watch that simmering anger creep ever closer to the boil – 

and resign herself to the fact that further argument was going to be totally pointless.

"So, uh, where were you planning to go…?" she asked at last, all too aware of the tremor in her voice.

For all his anger, Nigel had heard it too – his eyes softening slightly as he shrugged his shoulders. 

"I don't know… just somewhere quiet, where I know there won't be any interruptions…" he replied,

offering her just the faintest trace of a smile as he stooped to pick up his bag.

Knowing she had no right to expect anything more than that, Sydney bit her lip and simply nodded.

"Just be… I – I mean, just take care of yourself…" she said at last, forcing herself to smile back – adding one silent but heartfelt plea as she watched Nigel move across Logan Airport's main concourse.

"And wherever you go, Nigel… just please don't stay away too long…"

By the time she'd finished wondering whether she should have told him that aloud, he was gone.

Swallowing hard, Sydney picked up her own luggage and started to move towards the hire car centre.

As if a six hour flight without Nigel's jovial chatter to keep her company hadn't been bad enough, 

now she faced an equally long and lonely drive back to Trinity College. 

And then there was Karen, who'd clearly taken quite a shine to, in her words, your 'deadly cute' TA. 

Sydney had already guessed from an oddly blunt phone call that Karen knew what had happened, 

and for one moment she almost wished that she still had Claudia there instead to hold down the fort.

At least then this rift with Nigel would have gone straight over the girl's fashion obsessed head.

Resting for a moment against a pillar, Sydney closed her eyes and took a deep, nerve calming breath – 

wryly reflecting how this fearless hunter of relics could suddenly be so afraid to go home.

The next thing she knew, she was starting another hunt while tapping out that so familiar number – breathing a quiet sigh of relief as the answer machine spared her from facing still painful questions. 

"Hey Karen… just to let you know that… well, it's pretty late and it was a real lousy flight too, so… well, I'm going to stay overnight here and make a fresh start up to you tomorrow… okay, bye…"

Closing the call, Sydney allowed herself a humourless smile as she moved on through the concourse. 

For now, at least, the dilemma of explaining Nigel's absence from his post had been put on hold.

She could only hope that it would turn out to be a temporary measure…

The only way in which she could be any more surprised was if Sister Evangeline herself had returned. 

As it was, Sister Mary Francis took in her damply dishevelled visitor with wide, puzzled eyes.

"_Nigel_…?"

Although it had finally stopped raining, he was still soaking wet from his long hike to the convent.

From under his dripping fringe, Nigel offered her a shyly awkward grin as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes, I… um, well, I went back up to Saint Michael's where… well, where I went before, but… um… well, um, they were closed down, and…well, then I hiked back here to you, and… well… um…"

The explanation cum apology ground to a halt amid a wry reflection that Preston may have been right.

If he'd had a dollar for each time he'd said "um…" in his life, he could have retired forty years early.

Another explanation broke into the sadly pained thoughts which his own had provoked.

"Lack of funds…" Sister Mary told him, recovered enough now to add with a mischievous smile,

"I guess the monsignor wasn't quite ready to enter the wonderful world of cyber-monasteries…"

"No, I… um, well, no, I guess not…" Nigel agreed absently, brushing excess raindrops from his coat.

About to ask the next obvious question, Sister Mary then sensed it was clearly wiser not to.

Despite the friendly grin, there'd been a telltale sadness and strain in the boy's red rimmed eyes.

Although the rain had washed away the evidence of it, he'd clearly been crying at some point – 

his dazed and slightly bewildered expression betraying how much that emotion had drained him.

The fact that he'd fled here in the first place suggested that something was very seriously wrong.

And she'd already guessed that his tellingly absent employer was somehow involved.

So instead she returned her attention to the other, more immediate reason for why he'd come to her.

"And now you'd like to stay here while you're… well, in the area…?" she prompted him gently.

Too tired and distracted to appreciate her tact, Nigel smiled back at her once more and nodded.

Even so, he knew that some explanation at least was needed for his unscheduled arrival.

Not daring to lie to a nun, he then shrugged while indicating the bagful of books at his feet.

"I'm… um… taking a bit of a sabbatical…" he said at last, glancing nervously towards the heavens – breathing a silent sigh of relief when the expected thunderbolt of chastisement failed to materialise.

In spite of her concern and surprise at his appearance, Sister Mary couldn't stop herself smiling.

She couldn't imagine any circumstance where Nigel Bailey might need some divine retribution – 

he was far too shy and genteelly well mannered for that.

He was clearly troubled though – deeply upset over something which had shaken him to the core.

Now he needed space and quiet… time without demands to resolve whatever was troubling him.

And what better place to find that peace and privacy than a convent in the wilds of Nova Scotia ?

"Well then, Nigel, you've certainly come to the right place for sabbaticals…" she said at last,

relieved to see some of that earlier strain lift from Nigel's eyes as she held out a welcoming arm.

Smiling his thanks, Nigel nodded and started to follow her in – only to pause and turn in the doorway.

There it was again – that unsettling feeling that had been honed during those countless hunts with Syd.

The subconscious knowledge that someone, for good reason or bad, was covertly watching him.

Chiding himself that he needed a lot more sleep and a lot less imagination, Nigel shook his head. Casting one final slightly nervous glance around him, he then followed Sister Mary into the convent.

As the door closed behind him, a lone figure stealthily emerged from behind their sheltering tree.

His whereabouts known, his safe arrival confirmed, the honour bound task was now complete.

Allowing herself a sadly relieved smile, Sydney began the long and lonely walk back to the main road.

She was sure that he hadn't seen or recognised the dark car that had tailed his various wanderings. 

Now it was time to respect his wishes, give him the time and space he needed to make his decision.

And quietly pray to all the gods she could think of that it would be the right one…


End file.
